101 Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET Applications

Application #14. Use a SqlDataReader

When performance is your chief concern, especially with large amounts of data, use a DataReader class. This abstract class is built for speed and roughly approximates the ADO Recordset when the latter uses a forward-only, read-only firehose cursor. The DataReader class is often used in Web applications, where performance concerns are paramount. In desktop applications, it finds more limited use because rich client interfaces that consume relational data often require the more robust functionality of the DataSet class. A more detailed comparison between the DataReader class and the DataSet class is offered later in this topic.

The sample application shows you how to use a SqlDataReader class, a concrete subclass ...